In January, a new 6th-12th grade alternative private school called Fusion Academy plans to open in Walnut Creek.

It will be the third Bay Area campus introduced in the past six months and the eighth campus to open in the state since February, 2010, according to a news release I received today.

More information about the school — which features flex schedules, one-to-one teaching and no homework — is available at an informational meeting from 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19 at the Blackhawk Country Club.

Here are details from the news release:

“Fusion Academy & Learning Center Walnut Creek is modeled after Fusion Academy & Learning Center Solana Beach, which has provided one-to-one teaching and life skills programs to students for more than 20 years. Students may attend Fusion Academy full time or enroll in after-school programs as an educational supplement.

The Walnut Creek campus will be open Monday-Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., providing students and families with optimal flexibility with scheduling.

‘We’re excited to continue our growth across the Bay Area and throughout California with the opening of our campus in Walnut Creek,’ said Michelle Rose Gilman, founder and president of Fusion Academy. ‘While many traditional schools do an excellent job in educating children, there are some children whose needs require an individualized approach, an education that is tailored specifically to their interests to maximize engagement and retention. Our objective is to reach those students.’

Parents interested in learning more about Fusion Academy Walnut Creek are encouraged to attend an informational meeting at Blackhawk Country Club (599 Blackhawk Club in Danville) on Wednesday, October 19 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Fusion Academy and Learning Center offers students in grades 6 through 12 an alternative to the traditional classroom setting through one-to-one teaching and customized academic programs. Through individual mentoring, teaching and custom-tailored programs, each student’s unique talents are both recognized and encouraged in a positive environment. Fusion Learning Center offers one-to-one tutoring, mentoring, independent studies and test preparation, as well as a rich music and art program.”

Do you believe families in the Walnut Creek area would benefit from this new education option?

More choice is always beneficial, both for the individual families who may choose to utilize this new school option, as well as other area schools.

That’s also why the charter option at CVHS is such a positive development for all MDUSD families (despite the fact that some charter opponents, including some at the District, would like to assert otherwise).

Competition is a healthy way to improve services for all. The more marketplace competition, the better even ol’ MDUSD will perform. Availability of new school options gives more leverage to District schools to gain greater degrees of freedom at each school site, so they have flexibility to respond to local needs rather than operate using a one-size-fits-all rigid District-wide business model.

It looks like this is a for-profit school aimed at particular slice of the market. I would think the Flex Academy will be significant competition for it, particularly since the Flex Academy plans to open in Walnut Creek, too, and it will be free.

The Flex Academy people have the better business model. They use tax dollars to open as a non-profit charter, but they’re really just an arm of K12, Inc., a for-profit company from which they buy all the courseware for their computer-based curriculum. The Executive Director of Flex Public Schools, Mark Kushner, is a VP of K12, Inc.